


15,000 Kisses

by Snorlax_on_USS_Discovery



Category: Star Trek: Discovery
Genre: Cuddling & Snuggling, Fluff, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-25
Updated: 2021-02-25
Packaged: 2021-03-16 11:42:10
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,916
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29700024
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Snorlax_on_USS_Discovery/pseuds/Snorlax_on_USS_Discovery
Summary: A mishap in engineering and Paul wants some serious cuddling.
Relationships: Hugh Culber/Paul Stamets
Comments: 10
Kudos: 31





	15,000 Kisses

**Author's Note:**

> Not sure what time this is set in. Maybe some canon divergent time where Hugh never died. This is just happy times fluff.

Hugh and a small medical team just returned to Discovery after a two day mission to a small colony with a severe outbreak of a measles-like illness. Luckily no lives were lost, and everyone was well on the road to recovery, but now Hugh wanted nothing more than to go home, take a hot shower, eat and sleep for the next ten or so hours. All those things would be better if Paul were around to share them, but he was unsure what his partner’s schedule was or what project he might be working on. Maybe he could convince Paul to forget about work for a little while.

Those thoughts and wishes vanished the moment he walked into sickbay to drop off equipment and saw it in a moderate state of chaos. Every bed was filled and then some. At least a dozen people were covered in warming blankets and shivering. “So much for going home,” he muttered to himself.

That’s when he saw the exasperated eye roll from Tracy. “What’s going on? What happened?”

Dr. Pollard rolled her eyes for probably the twentieth time in the last three hours, “The mad scientists strike again.”

“Do I even want to know?” Hugh asked with a raised eyebrow and a smirk that disappeared when he saw Tilly in a nearby bed. Actually, most of the people were from engineering, and that meant only meant one thing. Paul was around somewhere in this chaos or, at the very worst, was the cause of it.

“I haven’t been able to get a straight answer out of any of them, especially their ringleader. We think something went wrong with the coolant system in engineering, and everyone developed hypothermia most mild and the rest moderate, but he’s okay now.” Tracy gave Hugh a knowing looking which he she was referring to but wanted to assure him Paul was never in any danger. 

Hugh rubbed his forehead and sighed softly. “What are Paul’s latest stats?” He needed to know what was going on before he went to Paul’s side to be there for him.

“Temp is at 34.3, heart rate and breathing are normal, some mild confusion, slurred speech, and drowsiness. He’s in bed seven.” Tracy knew to a non-medical person it might sound dire, and to a doctor like Hugh, things weren’t ideal, but it was nothing some monitoring, warming up and rest wouldn’t take care of.

Hugh relaxed, knowing Paul was well on the road to recovery, but he wouldn’t fully relax until he could see and exam him for himself. “Do you want me to him off your hands?” It was no secret that Paul was a horrible patient, and one of the perks of having a doctor for a partner on a starship was that sometimes treatment could be rendered at home.

“If you want to. Though you look exhausted...” Tracy paused when she saw the are you serious look Hugh gave her. “Yeah... I know you won’t be getting sleep either way.”

“And we’d both be more comfortable at home.” Bio-beds were not meant for two, and much of at home treatment involved copious amounts of snuggling. A special treatment reserved for a special blond angel who would never admit how much he enjoyed the intimate act even if he was the one who initiated it most of the time.

Hugh bent backward so he could see what Paul was doing, but he saw bed seven empty. “I thought you said Paul was in bed seven?”

Tracy looked confused, “He should be.” she looked over to see the bed empty as well. A warming blanket laid at the foot of the bed with no sign of its former occupant.

The two doctors shared an exasperated sigh. But it was Hugh who was the first to speak. “I’m just going to go home,” he said as he fought the urge to roll his eyes. Hugh was pretty confident that Paul had gone home because he did not want to think he was stupid enough to go back to work. If Paul were that stupid Discovery would be looking for a new navigator for its spore drive as he would be murdered for being an insane, reckless maniac.

The navigator was safe for tonight when Hugh tripped over Paul’s uniform and boots when he entered their quarters. Usually, Hugh left his clothes strewn about, and Paul was the one who fussed about the mess. 

The sight Hugh saw on the bed made him want to laugh, but it hurt his heart too, knowing his love was not feeling well. Paul was rolled up in the comforter like a human burrito, and he had a knit cap on his head pulled down to his eyebrows so only his face was visible.

Hugh wanted to do a quick exam, but Paul was sound asleep, so he had to work with what he had. He reached for the scanner he kept on the bedside table and quickly ran it over Paul’s body. His temperature had risen to 34.8 and everything else was in the normal range. Hugh wanted to do a neuro check, but waking his partner was difficult on a typical day.

“Paul, babe, can you wake up for me?” Hugh gently ran the back of his hand against Paul’s exposed cheek and frowned at how cold it felt, but he got the reaction he had hoped for; nose crinkling up and a happy little mumble. It wasn’t much, but it was a normal reaction.

Hugh watched Paul sleep for several minutes to ensure he was okay and was relieved that nothing had changed. He wanted nothing more than to take Paul into his arms, but he did not want to disturb the burrito Paul made himself into. If it were under better circumstances, Hugh would have found the scene before him incredibly adorable. 

“I’m going to take a quick shower so I can come back and see about getting you warmed up.” Hugh had a habit of talking to Paul as he slept, never expecting a response but it helped calm him. “Don’t go anywhere.” This would typically be where he’d ruffle Paul’s hair, but the cap on his head made it impossible.

Hugh took the quickest shower that he could to get two days' worth of grit and grime off him. After drying off and wrapping a towel around his waist, Hugh began to brush his teeth. He must have zoned out because the next thing he knew, a cold pair of arms wrapped around him.

“You’re home. Missed you,” Paul mumbled sleepily, placing a kiss on the back of Hugh’s neck.

Hugh shivered, feeling the cold skin on his back, but he felt way too much skin than he should. Instead of asking Paul how he felt, the first words out of his mouth were, “Are you naked?”

Paul shook his head before resting it on Hugh’s shoulder. “I have a hat and socks on.”

“Why are you naked? You should have clothes on,” Hugh said in a concerned tone as he turned around to look at his love, but Paul buried his face in Hugh’s shoulder again before he could look at his face. When Paul was this snuggly, it usually meant he wasn’t feeling well, and indeed Paul only wore the knit hat and a pair of thick wool socks.

“Dunno,” Paul sighed as he hugged Hugh tighter. He felt nice and warm fresh from the shower, but embracing his soulmate always made Paul feel warmer.

Hugh did not like that answer, and the doctor in him wondered if something else was wrong. “Babe, look at me. I need to see you are okay.”

Paul shook his head, unwilling to move his face from Hugh’s shoulder. “I’m okay. Just cold and tired. No more doctoring. Just need you.”

_Oh, my sweet Paul._

Hugh finally wrapped his arms around Paul, settling around his waist, and placed a kiss on the top of his head through his hat. “I can’t help it. That’s what you get for falling in love with a doctor who right now is very worried about the man he loves more than anything. Please let me do a quick neuro check.”

“Okay,” Paul said quietly as he loosened his hold on Hugh and stepped back enough to look at him. How could he refuse when Hugh put it that way.

“Thank you,” Hugh rewarded Paul’s compliance (which he knew he shouldn’t reward because of his stubbornness) with a quick kiss on the lips. The other man looked paler than usual and completely exhausted. Hugh suspected that was a combination of what Paul went through today and probably not getting much sleep while he was away.

“First, follow my fingers.”

Hugh was relieved when the beautiful eyes tracked the movement without any issue.

“How many fingers am I holding up.”

“Three. Are you done yet?” Paul asked with a slight whine.

“Hey, what’s going on?” Hugh gently took Paul’s face between his hands. Paul was being difficult even for him.

Paul offered a small smile. “I’m fine, really. I’m in a mood. Can’t explain it. I just need you. That’s all.” He used his best puppy dog look to convince Hugh he was okay.

Hugh could never resist that look, and if Paul insisted he was fine, Hugh had to take him at his word. “If that’s all you need, I can give you that.” He moved his hands from Paul’s face and slid them from the side of his neck to his shoulders, then down his arms, finally taking hold of Paul’s hands into his. Paul’s skin still felt too cold for his liking. “As much as I love seeing you naked, now is not the time for it. You still need to warm up. How about both of us get dressed, then I can pull out the down comforter, and then I can hold you until you feel better.” Truth be told Hugh felt like he needed some snuggling time after the tiring two days he had.

“Thank you. I’d really like that.” Paul kissed Hugh’s cheek, and his cheeks flushed. “I love you.”

“Love you too,” Hugh replied before he watched Paul retreat to their bedroom. He tossed his towel into the refresher and then went to find their down comforter that they only pulled from the closet for various activities on the floor. By the time Hugh had retrieved the piece of bedding, Paul had changed into a pair of sweatpants and a sweatshirt (he still had the hat and socks on) and was in the process of laying out a pair of pajamas for him.

  
A few moments later, the couple was settled in bed, Paul’s head tucked under Hugh’s chin, their bodies flush against each other, legs intertwined like vines and an arm, each protectively holding the other close.

There was no need for any exchange of words when the occasional brush of a hand on the back of the neck, the shift to move in closer, or the contented sigh said much more than words could ever do.

After almost an hour of the soothing silence, Paul was about to drift off to sleep lulled in by the sound of Hugh’s heartbeat beneath his ear until Hugh’s voice pulled him back to reality.

“Feeling any better, babe?” Hugh asked as he rubbed the back of his love’s neck. He knew he needed to do another check on Paul’s vitals, but he did not want to move from the comfortable position.

Paul let out a long yawn. “Getting there,” he said sleepily as he nuzzled his face against Hugh’s chest, not wanting to be disturbed.

“I’m sorry. Did I wake you?” Hugh asked apologetically as he reached up the back of Paul’s cap to scratch the back of his head.

“No. I was about to, though. It’s okay.” Paul reached up and removed the cap from his head so Hugh could scratch the top of his head.

“Is that an invitation?” Hugh asked with a smirk.

“Uh-huh,” Paul nodded.

Hugh smirked, seeing this as an opportunity to get in the scan he needed to do. “Let me check your vitals one last time, and then I can scratch your head.”

Paul pouted and rolled onto his back, pulling himself apart from Hugh. “You drive a hard bargain, dear doctor.”

Hugh took it as a good sign that Paul was not being difficult anymore and reached into the bedside table for the scanner. The scan took thirty seconds, and Hugh was pleased with the results; vitals were all still normal, and Paul’s temperature was within a half degree of normal for him. “You’re all good now,” he sighed with relief and put the scanner back on the table.

“Can I get a story with the head-scratching?” Paul asked, returning to laying on his side to face Hugh and tried to look as irresistible as possible so there was no way he could say no.

Hugh laughed and shook his head at the game Paul was playing, but there was no way he could or would want to say no to such a request. “Any story in particular?” He asked, reaching over to scratch the top of Paul’s head lightly.

“I leave it up to you,” Paul almost purred with contentment.

Hugh thought on it for a moment. “This is the story of how you came into my life.”

“Good choice.”

“It all started almost ten years ago...”

“Nine years, eleven months, eighteen days.”

“Are you going to count the hours and minutes too?”

“I didn’t calculate those.”

“Can I continue?”

“I’ll behave.”

_You won’t behave_. “I was attending an interesting lecture.”

“What was the lecture about?”

“I don’t know. I was paying more attention to the sexy blond giving the lecture.”

“How did you know it was interesting if you weren’t paying attention?”

“As I said, blond hottie with the nice ass.”

“That’s not how it went.”

“It’s how I’m choosing to remember it today. Besides, I’m the one telling the story. Can I continue?”

“Go on. What happened next?”

“A few hours later, I was sitting in a nearby cafe, reading a trashy romance novel.”

“Seriously? That’s what you were reading?”

“Don’t judge me. I was going through a dry spell, and at the time I had no idea how much my life was about to change in a few minutes.”

“Please continue.”

“Then I started humming my favorite aria, and after twenty seconds, I heard an annoyed huff from a few seats away, but that didn’t stop me, so I continued humming. It didn’t take long to annoy the person further, and he then made his wildly lame position on Kasseelian Opera known, rather rudely, I might add.”

“I was not rude. I was flirting.”

“That was not flirting. You were being rude.”

“Maybe I was a little rude, but I wasn’t rude for very long.”

“Your whole demeanor changed when I sat next to you.”

“I like challenges. When I told you to sit somewhere else, I didn’t think you’d sit next to me. I half expected to be called an asshole.”

“I was tempted to, but there was something about your smirk that made me want to know you better. It was one of the best decisions I ever made.”

“Thank you for taking that chance on me. I know I made the right choice to drop the snarky attitude long enough to flirt with the most handsome stranger I ever met.”

“And I was more than willing to flirt back and stare into those gorgeous eyes for a little longer, but there is one thing I regret not doing that day.”

“Oh! What was that?”

“This!”

Hugh erased the distance between their lips, starting slow and soft, gradually deepening his tongue, eventually asking for entrance. The familiar dancing of their tongues, the quickening of their heartbeats, and the soft moans as their bodies arched toward each other. It’s an old comforting feeling but feels like the first time every time.

The kiss broke apart when the couple needed to come up for air, and their foreheads came to rest against each other, breathing ragged and pupils blown.

“Had you kissed me like that at the cafe, I would have wanted to take you right there.” If Paul weren’t so exhausted, he’d be pinning Hugh to the mattress right now. “But what is one missed kiss since we’ve had 15,000 since then.”

“Have you been counting our kisses all these years?” Hugh asked with amusement. The workings of Paul’s mind would always be something that amazed him to no end.

“Not really. It’s a matter of simple math. You take almost ten years and divide that by 15,000, and you get about 4.1 kisses per day. There were times we were long-distance but the times we were together, we more than made up for the missed time. Today we are above that average.” By Paul’s count, it was five kisses so far.

Only Paul could make the science of their kisses sound so sexy. That big sexy sciencey brain of his was a big turn-on. “By your calculations, we have two days to make up for. How does one do .2 of a kiss?”

“I guess we just have to find out,” Paul shrugged as the couple went about to make up for the missed kisses. All 8.2 of them. 

**Author's Note:**

> Comments and kudos are always welcome.
> 
> Hope you enjoyed this little journey into fluffy happy land.


End file.
